Nexus - 1705 - New Times Magazine-pages

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LIVING WITH PHyYTIC ACID IN OUR DIETS ACID LIVING PHYTIC WITH DIETS OUR Phytic acid in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes depletes minerals and inhibits enzymes needed for digestion. It is important to know how to prepare these foods so as to neutralise the harmful phytic acid and phytate content and gain maximum nutritional benefit. Anti-Nutritional Effects of Phytic Acid and Phytate hytic acid in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes represents a serious problem in our diets. This problem exists because we have lost touch with our ancestral heritage of food preparation. Instead, we listen to food gurus and ivory tower theorists who promote the consumption of raw and unprocessed "whole foods" or we eat a lot of high-phytate foods ike commercial whole wheat bread and breakfast cereals with high bran content. But raw is definitely not nature's way for grains, nuts, seeds, egumes and even some tubers like yams; nor is quick cooking or rapid heat processing such as extrusion. Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant issues, especially the bran portion of grains and other seeds. It contains he mineral phosphorus tightly bound in a snowflake-like molecule. In umans and animals with one stomach, the phosphorus is not readily bioavailable. In addition to blocking phosphorus availability, the "arms" of he phytic acid molecule readily bind with other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, making them unavailable as well. In this form, he compound is referred to as phytate. Phytic acid not only grabs onto or chelates important minerals, it also inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food. These enzymes include pepsin,’ needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach; amylase,’ required for the breakdown of starch into sugar; and trypsin, necessary for protein digestion in the small intestine.’ I have witnessed the powerful anti-nutritional effects of a diet high in phytate-rich grains on my family members, with many resulting health problems including tooth decay, nutrient deficiencies, lack of appetite and digestive difficulties. The presence of phytic acid in so many enjoyable oods which we regularly consume makes it imperative that we know how to prepare these foods to neutralise phytic acid content as much as possible, and also that we know how to consume them in the context of a diet containing factors that mitigate the harmful effects of phytic acid. These actors include vitamin C, vitamin D and calcium. Phytic acid is present in legumes/beans, seeds, nuts and grains, especially in the bran or outer hull. Phytates are also found in tubers, and trace amounts occur in certain fruits and vegetables like berries and green beans. Up to 80 per cent of the phosphorus—a vital mineral for strong bones and good health—present in grains is locked into an unusable form as phytate.‘ When a diet including more than small amounts of phytate is consumed, he body binds calcium to phytic acid and forms insoluble phytate complexes. The net result is that you lose calcium and don't absorb phosphorus. Further, research suggests that we absorb approximately 20 per cent more zinc and 60 per cent more magnesium from our food when phytate is absent.’ NEXUS ¢ 33 by Ramiel Nagel © 2010 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2010 www.nexusmagazine.com